Ubuntu owes much of its popularity to its being easier to install than Linux distributions of the past. But Ubuntu's open-source pedigree makes configuring proprietary drivers and codecs tricky. I have used a free application-installation utility called Automatix to add these proprietary products, but some Automatix users report trouble with the program. Fortunately, you can install crucial codecs and drivers in Ubuntu 7.04 without using a separate utility: Choose System, Administration, Restricted Drivers Manager, and enter your administrative password if prompted to do so. The Restricted Drivers Manager application displays a list of available proprietary drivers for hardware it has detected on your system . Check Enable next to the driver you want to install, and click Enable Driver in the confirmation dialog box. Ubuntu will then download and install the driver, and will use it the next time you start the operating system.
The first time you try to play an MP3 file in Ubuntu, a dialog box will ask whether you want to download and install the codec. If you'd prefer to install most codecs and plug-ins (including Java, Flash, and Truetype fonts) in one fell swoop, choose Applications, Add/Remove, type Restricted in the search field, select All available applications in the Show menu, and click All in the left pane. Check Ubuntu restricted extras in the Application window, and click OK and Apply to install the programs. After you enter your administrative password, Ubuntu downloads and installs the software. This method doesn't add DVD playback support, which requires software that violates the Digital Millennium Copyright act in the United States. For instructions on setting up Ubuntu to play DVDs, see the Ubuntu Documentation page, "RestrictedFormats/PlayingDVDs".
Scott Spanbauer
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